Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz swiftly responded after President Donald Trump directed a derogatory remark at him on social media.
In a late-night Thanksgiving post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Nov. 27, Trump took aim at “citizens” and “patriots” he claimed had been “just plain STUPID” about immigration policy.
While singling out the Somali community in Minnesota, Trump also used an offensive slur referring to people with intellectual disabilities to attack the state’s Democratic governor, writing, “The seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.”
Walz, 61, fired back with a pointed response on X, posting, “Release the MRI results.” His comment referenced the MRI Trump reportedly underwent during an October visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
In a summary of Trump’s most recent known physical exam, conducted on Oct. 10, White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella said the 79-year-old president had lab work, advanced imaging and “preventive health assessments” as part of his ongoing health maintenance.
Barbabella explained that the evaluation was intended to “ensure optimal cardiovascular health and continued wellness.”
While he did not specify the exact imaging or preventive tests, Barbabella said Trump’s lab results were “exceptional” and that his cardiac age is “approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age.” According to the Heart Foundation, cardiac age is a measure that compares a person’s cardiovascular health and heart attack risk to that of an average person of the same chronological age.
Trump appeared to clarify the nature of the imaging while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Oct. 27. “I got an MRI,” he said at the time. “It was perfect.” The White House has not provided further details about how extensive the scans were or why the tests were conducted outside the usual schedule for the president’s annual physical in April.
In July, a separate medical visit led to Trump being diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that “causes blood to pool in your leg veins, leading to high pressure in those veins,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Along with Walz’s jab alluding to Trump’s health, the governor reposted a screenshot of the president’s 11:30 p.m. Truth Social message, which also included racist comments about Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is Somali-American.
Trump’s post further claimed that the “refugee burden is the leading cause of social dysfunction in America,” falsely asserting that “hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia” are “completely taking over” Minnesota.
“Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for ‘prey’ as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,” Trump wrote.
According to U.S. Census data, about 61,300 Somalis live in Minnesota, representing roughly 1.1% of the state’s population, Newsweek reports. Other estimates, such as those from Minnesota Compass, place the Somali population closer to 80,000 — still far below Trump’s claim of hundreds of thousands.
The White House, Walz and Omar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
